Running Away
by Juliet's Shadow
Summary: Petalstar poisons Foxtooth and is caught doing it by Tanglepaw. Now she is running for her life, away from the truth that she knows she will have to face. One- Shot for Moonblze13's The Cat is Out of the Bag challenge on the Warriors Challenge Forum.


Running, always running. No one understands why I did it. I think of my aunt, Hollyleaf and how I heard she did something like this too. I killed him. I admit it, but he was sneaking out of camp to kill other cats. I couldn't risk anyone in the other clans finding out. I couldn't risk my own clan finding out. Of course they did though.

_"Petalstar?" I turn and see Tanglepaw, watching me shove death berries into Foxtooth's mouth. If he ate one more he would be dead. "Petalstar- mother- how could you?" I look and see my son drop the vole he was carrying for me. _

_ "Tanglepaw, it isn't what it looks like!" My voice was shaking, my paws were trembling. My son was looking sick. "Please Tanglepaw, I'm doing this for the clans safety!"_

He didn't believe me. Now I'm running across the forest, trying to outrun the accusations and the cries for vengeance. I listen to the voices. Senior warriors like Moletail and Cherryflight, Seedfall and Lilyfall, Dewstripe and Snowstorm. Queens like Amberflower. Young warriors, Owlwhisker, Ebonyfrost, Rainshadow and, most hauntingly, my own sister, Flowerfall, were chasing me too. I didn't hear the calling of my name from my father, Lionblaze, or my sons, Tanglepaw and Thistlepaw though. They were probably grieving for my actions.

_"Mother, why?" Tanglepaw asked. His blue eyes were pools of sadness as he looked at me then back at the ginger and white tom that stood below my paws, struggling to stay alive. _

_ "Tanglepaw, I'm doing this for your safety. I promise I'm doing this for you and your siblings!" He looked at me through narrowed eyes._

_ "Are you doing this for Fluffypaw?" He asked, his eyes narrowed._

I stopped running, stopped hearing my name being shouted and looked at where I was. It was a path, well worn over moons of use. It was the path to Moonpool. I sighed and walked upon the path, not knowing where else to go.

I dipped my tongue in the icy water and found myself among the stars. Before me was a gray tabby cat, the one who guided me through everything, Jayfeather. He was shaking his head. "Petalstar, I didn't say to do this. I revealed to you what Foxtooth was doing because I thought you could handle it with logic."

My blue eyes narrowed into slits. I looked at my copy –I took after Jayfeather in looks- and felt my claws itching to slit his face. I held back. "What did you expect me to do? He was going out and killing others!"

_I remembered looking at the pale gray tabby and white she-cat, blood pooling around my paws and looked into Foxtooth's eyes. They were climbing trees. It was her first day as an apprentice, unlike her brothers, Tanglepaw and Thistlepaw. She had been delayed her apprentice ceremony a moon because she was delicate of health. He had forced her into the thinnest branches; the branches had snagged her fluffy pelt and caused her to panic. The branch she stood on broke, and she fell, broke her neck. I came over to see her training right after she had gotten into the high branches. I saw her fall and there was nothing I could do._

_ I now look into my sons eyes and see the pain he has in them. "I loved her too but I wouldn't kill because of a mistake though!"_ _I watch his spiky ginger fur leave the leaders den. Soon after, Rabinwing, the medicine cat, was in my den, shooing me out and reviving Foxtooth. He told me to go to his den, I did._

"I expected you to think before you acted!" His fur was bristling by now, as was mine. He was pushed out of the way and before me, stood Fluffypaw.

"Mom, why didn't you ask me for help? Why did you try to kill dad?" I had tried to forget that the cat I was killing was my mate. I had tried to block all the feelings of pain I felt when killing him.

_ I padded inside the den and looked at my father, Lionblaze. His muzzle was gray with age but that was the only thing that had changed with him. He was still strong, powerful in battle and a great father, just like he had always been. On either side of him stood Tanglepaw, who took after his father with spiky ginger fur but had my eyes, and Thistlepaw, who had light gray tabby fur like me, though it was spiky like his father's and had his green eyes. "Petalstar, I know you thought you were doing what was right, but you should have come to me. I didn't know Fluffypaw's death had ruined you this much."_

_ "Father, it wasn't Fluffypaw's death that caused me to do this," I took a breath. "It was Scarshadow's death that caused me to do this."_

"Mother, do you know why Father killed Scarshadow?" Her blue eyes were pools of pity. I shook my head. "He killed Scarshadow because she was going to kill you."

I felt my breaths becoming more frequent and shorter. "Why… why would she try to kill me?" Scarshadow was a jet black she-cat with a white marking on her eye that looked like it could be a scar. She was from ShadowClan.

"It was from the battle that killed Bramblestar. You killed her sister, so she has wanted to kill you. Father killed her so you would be safe."

_"Scarshadow's death?" he inquired. _

_ I took a deep breath and said it aloud. "Jayfeather showed me Foxtooth killing Scarshadow, and there have been other deaths in the clans no one can discover."_

_ Thistlepaw looked at me and said quietly. "Mother, you better get out of here. They will be coming for you soon. I'll cover for you."_

_ "As will I." I looked and saw Tanglepaw had risen to his paws, regret sparkling in his eyes._

_ "I will too, daughter. Just hurry and run."_

I opened my eyes and found myself by the Moonpool. _I have to go back. _I padded back, each step causing more dread than the last. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I entered through the front, my clanmates bristling with my return. I ignored them all and padded to my den. Inside I saw Foxtooth, who was returning to consciousness. "I'm sorry love. I should have talked to you."

He pressed his muzzle weakly to mine, "It's ok. You were doing what you thought best for your clan."

I offered him my shoulder and we padded out of my den together. Our tails intertwined. Cats looked at us confused, especially after I leaped onto Highrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a clan meeting! We have two new warriors, Tanglepaw and Thistlepaw."

My son's eyes filled with happiness as they leapt up onto Highrock and stood beside their father. "Tanglepaw and Thistlepaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"I do."

"Then I command StarClan to make you warriors of ThunderClan! Tanglepaw, you shall now be known as Tangleheart and Thistlepaw, you shall now be known as Thistlefeather!" I looked at my clan and then back at my mate. "Now I'm going to tell you everything that led up to today's events…"


End file.
